The developed thermoanalytical method for WPC shows that
it is possible to quantify the mass percentage for wood flour
and polypropylene copolymer in wood plastic composites (WPC)
by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA–DTG). The developed
method shows good agreements between analyzed and actual fractions
of wood flour and polymer in spite of the complex thermal
degradation behavior of wood plastic composites. The TGA method
can be tailored according to the formulation composition. Maxima
deviations from the actual wood and polymer contents were 5.4%
and 14.3%, respectively. It is possible to optimize the deviation of
analyzed fraction by switching the isothermal step between 340
and 350 ◦C, changing the heating rate and adjusting the isothermal
period. An accurate determination of individual components in
WPC by using TGAis limitedly possible, because ofthe wide range of
continuous thermal degradation of wood between 200 and 700 ◦C
in nitrogen and oxygen and the various thermal decomposition patterns
of polymers. WPC with known composition can be rapidly
quantified with TGA measurements, therefore, TGA is a useful
tool for WPC production control. TGA measurements of WPC with
unknown composition are difficult to interpret. For determination
of composition of WPC with unknown formulation, other analytical
methods such as Soxhlet extraction, infrared spectroscopy and
DSC in combination should be used.